THE POLAR BEAK. 



233 



Directly in our front was a large ice-floe. We consulted a 

 moment as to the best way to overcome the difficulty of 

 getting to the opposite side, when we discovered a fore leg 

 of the animal moving cautiously uj) over the ice. An instant 

 later, his head appeared, and then he saw us. Dropping 

 suddenly back, he retreated, without giving us a shot. 

 Knowing from experience the tactics that he would pursue, 

 we at once decided to separate, one going south and the 



Shipped. 



other north, around the ice-pack. We knew that })y this 

 means one or the other of us could cut him off before he 

 could reach water, which was about three miles away. 



We pushed forward over the rough ice, occasionally 

 sighting the Bear, which seemed to be making the best time 

 possible. After we had gone a mile or more in a direct line, 

 we noticed that the Bear had slackened his pace, but was 

 still moving toward ice-packs and open water, which, if he 

 reached them, would prevent us from getting him. We 

 noti(;ed, however, that we were gaining rapidly on him, and 



